Flexible horizontal stack display and editor

Abstract

A method and system for debugging a computer program are described. In one embodiment, information pertaining to a first function executed within the computer program is presented in a first sub-window of a stack window. Further, information pertaining to a second function executed within the computer program is presented in a second sub-window of the stack window. The second sub-window is positioned next to the first sub-window to provide a horizontal arrangement of the sub-windows within the stack window.

1. A computer-implemented method for debugging a computer program, comprising:
 retrieving stack frame data associated with a first function being executed within the computer program from a stack; 
 retrieving stack frame data associated with a second function being executed within the computer program from the stack; 
 processing the stack frame data associated with the first function; 
 processing the stack frame data associated with the second function; 
 displaying a stack window in a user interface; 
 rendering a first data representation corresponding to the stack frame data associated with the first function in a first sub-window of the stack window; and 
 rendering a second data representation corresponding to the stack frame data associated with the second function in a second sub-window of the stack window. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying a source code window in the user interface. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising displaying the stack window on top of the source code window in the user interface. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying a re-assembled machine code window in the user interface. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising displaying the stack window on top of the re-assembled machine code window in the user interface. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the size of the first sub-window of the stack window. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising adjusting the size of the second sub-window of the stack window. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , wherein adjusting the size of the first sub-window of the stack window comprises performing a point and click method with a cursor control device. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying high-level stack data associated with the first function in a first display area of the first sub-window of the stack window. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the high-level stack data associated with the first function includes a set of variables and a value stored in each of the set of variables during execution of the first function. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising adjusting the size of the first display area of the first sub-window of the stack window. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising displaying low-level stack data associated with the first function in a second display area of the first sub-window of the stack window. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the low-level stack data associated with the first function includes a plurality of memory locations, data stored at each of the plurality of memory locations, and a program symbol associated with each of the plurality of memory locations. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 retrieving stack frame data associated with a third function being executed within the computer program from the stack; 
 processing the stack frame data associated with the third function; 
 rendering a third data representation corresponding to the stack frame data associated with the third function in a third sub-window of the stack window. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising adjusting the size of the third sub-window of the stack window. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 displaying high-level stack data associated with the third function in a first display area of the third sub-window of the stack window; and 
 displaying low-level stack data associated with the third function in a second display area of the third sub-window of the stack window. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising closing at least one of the first sub-window of the stack window and the second sub-window of the stack window. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising closing at least one of the first sub-window of the stack window, the second sub-window of the stack window, and the third sub-window of the stack window. 
     
     
       19. A computer-readable medium that provides instructions that, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform the following method:
 retrieving call stack data associated with a computer program from memory, wherein the call stack data includes information pertaining to a first function being executed within the computer program and information pertaining to a second function being executed within the computer program; 
 displaying the information pertaining to the first function in a first sub-window of a stack window; and 
 displaying the information pertaining to the second function in a second sub-window of the stack window, wherein the first sub-window of the stack window and the second sub-window of the stack window are arranged horizontally within the stack window. 
 
     
     
       20. A computer-implemented method for debugging a computer program, comprising:
 retrieving information pertaining to a first function being executed within the computer program from a stack and displaying the information pertaining to the first function in a first sub-window of a stack window; 
 retrieving information pertaining to a second function being executed within the computer program from the stack and displaying the information pertaining to the second function in a second sub-window of the stack window; 
 determining whether a command to change the size of at least one of the first and second sub-windows is received and, in response to a positive determination, changing the size of at least one of the first and second sub-windows; 
 determining whether a command to update at least a portion of the information pertaining to the first function or the information pertaining to the second function is received and, in response to a positive determination, updating at least a portion of the information pertaining to the first function or the information pertaining to the second function.